Shoulder pad



Sept. 18, 1945. A. A. vANAssE SHOULDER PAD Filed Nov. 3, 1944 ATTOR N EY INVENTOR. cZJ7/anczsse- Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED y STATE seATENT OFFICE SHOULDER PAD Armand A. Vanasse, Waterbury, Conn.Application November 3, 1944, Serial No. 561,700

7 Claims.

This invention relates to protectors, and more particularly to animproved shoulder cushion pad shield for use by icemen, coalmen,hed-carriers, truckmen, stevedores, porters, furniture movers,lumbermen, stretcher bearers, garbagemen, etc.

One object of the present invention is to provide a shoulder pad of theabove nature having a smooth sheet metal cover provided with anupstanding flange on the inner side of its upper surface to prevent thearticle being supported from sliding against the neck of the wearer.

A further object is to provide an improved shoulder pad of the abovenature which will have an inverted' U-shaped metallic outer framereinforced by an interior wire skeleton frame and provided with acushion pad lining of sponge rubber for embracing and engaging theshoulder and chest of the wearer.

A further object is to provide a device oi'` the above nature which willbe non-injurious and non-fatiguing to the wearer, simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install andmanipulate, compact, iexible, water-repellant, ornamental in appearance,and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on theaccompanying drawing two forms in which the invention may convenientlybe embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. l represents a perspective view of the complete shoulder pad.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the interior wire skeleton frame of theshoulder pad.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shoulder pad taken atright angles to the neckprotecting iiange.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View, taken along the line 4--4 of Fig.3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 indicates a cross sectional view similar to Fig. 4 of`a modiiiedform of the invention in which the top plate and side plates are madefrom one integral sheet of material.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral Iiiindicates a flat top plate of sheet metal having a pair of dependingshort side anges I I, I2 which permit water to drain oil the top plateIl! without entering the interior of the shoulder pad.

Provision is also made of a pair of depending elongated sheet metal sideilaps I3, I4 which are wide at the top, as shown in Figs. l and 3, andhave reduced tapered bottom wings I5, I6.

In order to reinforce the shoulder pad, provision is made of a skeletonframe including a U-shaped horizontal upper wire loop I1 havinghorizontal side legs I8, I9 which form a support for the top plate Ill,and are secured thereto as by welding or soldering.

The top wire loop I1 is provided with an upstanding loop 25 at itsinnerend which is adapted to be embraced by an `upstanding neckA flange 2|forming an integral part of the metal plate l0, as clearly shown in Fig.l, said ange 2l having an inwardly and downwardly curled extremity' 22tightly embracing' the'horizontal portion of the loop 20. Provision isalso made of an interior rectangular horizontal wire loop 23 welded orsoldered to the side legs I8, shaped wire frame I'I--said loop 23 havinga pair of U-shaped depending Wire side wings 24, 25 welded or otherwisesecured thereto at their top ends 26, 2l and 28, 29.

In order to secure the sheet metal side aps I3, I4 to the parallel wiresI8, I9 of the frame I1, the side flaps I3, I4 are provided at theirupper ends with downwardly and outwardly curved sections 3'0, 3| whichembrace said wires I8, I9 and the wire sides of the frame 23, as clearlyshown in Fig. 4.

The bottom wings I5, I6 are provided .with lower extremities 32, 33which are curled inwardly around the horizontal bottom ends of the wireloops 24, 25, as shown.

In order to form two pairs of open eye sections for the reception ofshoulder-attaching straps (not shown), the wire side wings 24, 215 havewidened bottom sections 34, 35, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

For protecting the chest of the wearer from injury by articles supportedon the shoulder pad, provision is made of a U-shaped cushion pad 3B ofsponge rubber or other similar material, which is adapted to be cementedor otherwise secured to the interior of the skeleton wire frame and theouter metal plates previously described. The sponge rubber pad 36 isprovided with thickened interior corners 31, 38 which serve to make theshoulder pad more comfortable and cause it to fit smoothly over theshoulder of the user.

Operation In operation, when it is desired to support a cake of ice orother article upon the shoulder pad, said article will be supported onthe horizontal plate I0 and will preferably be pushed inwardly I9 of theU- until it engages the vertical flange 2|, which will prevent thearticle from striking the neck of the user. The article may Abe heldmanually in this position as long as desired.

The bottom sheet metal wings I5, I6 are preferably bent outwardly tofacilitate the placing of the pad upon the shoulder of the user.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, provision is madeof a top sheet metal cover plate :39 `and afpair ofszside-sheetfmetaliiaps 40, .4| .which areaintegral with-..each :other and are connectedby depending side anges 42, 43 which are :formed of double thickness bybending said sheet metal as shown. In this form, the

Wire frames I1 and 23 are embraced bythe sockets 44, 45 at the jointsbetween the.. double thickness anges 42, 43 and the depending Wings 40,4|. 'I'his provides a strongfreiniorced construction. i

While there have been disclosed in this speci cation two forms. in whichthe-'invention may convenientlyrbe embodied; itt isrtol be` understoodthat these forinsarefshown lfdr' the purpose. of illustrationonly,xandthatV the finvention isfnot tobe Ilimited' to the specificdisclosures; butmay bemodied and ern-bodied in variousiotheriorms. Inshort,zthe inventionincludes-lall the modications and embodimentscor-ning` within the scope of` the following rclaims.

`Having thus fullyY described the -invention, what'isfclaimed'as-new,and for which' it is desired to -secure Letters Patent,is:

.1.*In a weight-supporting. protective shoulder pad, -an interiorU-shaped skeleton--Wirefframe having a-.rectangularitopfsection and a:pairV of v lwhich said skeleton Wire frame is provided rare-made wide atthe 2. The invention as dened in claim 1, in which said exterior metalcover is secured to said skeleton wire frame by welding. n

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in which the top of said sheetmetal cover is provided withian upstanding .in-ner.l flange to protectthe. neck of the user.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in with open enlarged eyesections at the bottom thereof forI receiving shoulder-attaching straps.

r5. vThe invention as set forth in claim 1, in which said skeleton frameand sheet metal cover top to cover the entire lengthof the shoulder andof reduced width at the lower portions thereof shaped to t about thechest of the wearer.

6.Y The invention as set'forthin claim 1, in which the side dependingwings are outwardly flaredat the bottomfthereof to .facilitate theplacing of the shoulder pad over the shoulderof the user.

7. In a weight-supporting-protectivefshoulder pad,.an interior .U.shapedskeleton wire frame having a rectangular open top .section andapair ofvertical dependingv openside wings, and an exterior U-shaped sheet metalcover embracing said frame, the sides of said cover being reverselylooped to form corner sockets for the sides of said frames to reinforcethe strength thereof.

ARMAND A. VANASSE.

